Once again, Covenant University (CU) has snatched the crown as Nigeria’s top-ranked university in the Times Higher Education (THE) 2025 rankings. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, took the second spot, knocking the University of Ibadan (UI) down from the position it held in the 2024 rankings. Now, this might sting for UI, a school that many proudly consider the “premier university.” But in this race, it seems the premier title wasn’t enough to hold onto that silver spot.
For those unfamiliar with the Times Higher Education World Rankings, it’s not just a popularity contest. It’s a globally respected, data-driven assessment of universities, with over 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories under the microscope. THE uses 18 performance indicators that measure how well universities perform across five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.
Now, if you thought Nigeria was making waves globally, the top 10 global rankings show otherwise. Spoiler alert: Covenant University, for all its success back home, didn’t make the global top 10. Once again, Oxford University retained the global number one spot for the ninth straight year. MIT overtook Stanford, which tumbled down to sixth place. The likes of Harvard, Princeton, and Cambridge round out the top five.
Here’s a breakdown of the global elite:
- University of Oxford
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Harvard University
- Princeton University
- University of Cambridge
- Stanford University
- California Institute of Technology
- University of California, Berkeley
- Imperial College London
- Yale University
Meanwhile, back in Nigeria, the top universities aren’t slacking either. While Covenant University holds the top spot, ABU’s rise to second is impressive. Landmark University, a sister institution to Covenant, also snuck into the top tier, ensuring that the CU family continues to dominate.
Here’s a list of the top 22 Nigerian universities for 2025, according to THE:
- Covenant University
- Ahmadu Bello University
- Landmark University
- University of Ibadan
- University of Lagos
- Bayero University
- Federal University of Technology, Akure
- Federal University of Technology, Minna
- University of Benin
- University of Ilorin
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- Ekiti State University
- Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
- Federal University of Technology, Owerri
- Federal University of Oye-Ekiti
- Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
- Lagos State University
- Nnamdi Azikiwe University
- Obafemi Awolowo University
- University of Port Harcourt
- Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
- Abia State University
While globally, Nigerian universities still have a long way to go, within the country, it’s clear that some schools are pushing the boundaries of education and innovation.
The rankings continue to emphasize how important research, teaching quality, and international collaboration are for a university’s success. But whether other Nigerian universities can catch up to Covenant University anytime soon remains to be seen.
